BACKGROUND: In or about 2005, Idaho Power Company (IPC) announced plans to construct a 250 megawatt IGCC plant. However, in November 2007, IPC cancelled the project due to public opposition, escalating costs, permit issues, and greenhouse gas emissions concerns. In an Idaho PUC filing, the IPC stated that “due to the uncertainties associated with permitting and future carbon regulation and the costs of developing coal-fired generation resources” the Company's plan to develop a coal plant is “no longer feasible.” IPC never applied for permits, in part because the proposal generated strong, bipartisan opposition due to supposed environmental and aesthetic impacts from its inception.